rode among huts of the Turcomans j their large and fierce dogs
barking vehemently, and worrying us. The plain now appeared
as bounded with mountains. The view weftward was
terminated by a fingle, diftindt, lofty range, the eaft end of
mount Sipylus,
W e approached near to the green ridge, on which the bar-
rows are, and going on beyond its eaftern extremity, pitched
our tent by a village, called Bazocleu. A continual noife or
hooting was made to drive away the fmall birds, which lodged
in the corn. We faw them changing their quarters, as foon as
molefted, in troops. A large dog had followed our men, who
fed Him, from Sart,
W e were onhorfeback again, at feven in the morning, and
going north-weftward for half an hour, came to the lake, which
lay behind the ridge, extending weftward, and was antiently
called Gygaea. It is large, and abounds in fifti, its colour and
tafte like common pond-water, with beds of fedge growing in
it. We faw a few fwans with cygnets, and many aquatic birds,
in particular, one fpecies refembling a gull, flying about in
flocks, or lighting on the ground. Thefe were white, but
with the whole head black. The air fwarmed with gnats.
Some very antient hiftorians related, that this lake was made
as a receptacle for the floods, which happened when the rivers
were fwollen. The Lydians afierted it was perennial, or never
dry. The name had been changed from Gygsea to Coloe j and
by it was a temple of Diana, called Coloene, which was reputed
e f great fanftity. A ftory is recorded as current, that on her
feftivals certain baskets danced. This probably is the Sardian
Diana, mentioned in an infeription copied by Mr. Peyfonell,
and containing a panegyric on her prieftefs. I f the lake be factitious,
the ridge may be regarded as an immenfe mound raifed
with the foil.
By
By Gygsea, which was within forty ftadia or five miles o f
Sardes, was the burying-place of the Lydian kings. The bar-
rows on the ridge or mound are of various fizes, the fmaller
made perhaps for children or the younger branches of the royal
family. Four or five are diftinguifhed by their fuperior magnitude.
AH of them are covered with green turf; and as many as
I obferved, in paffing among them, retain their conical form
without any finking-in of the top.
One of the barrows on this eminence, near the middle, and
toward Sardes, is remarkably confpicuous, and has been deferibed
by Herodotus, as the greateft work in Lydia, inferior only to>
the works of the Egyptians and Babylonians. It was" the monument
of Halyattes the father of Croefus. The earth was
heaped on a bafement of large ftones. It was fix ftadia, or three
quarters of a mile, and two plethra1 in circumference; and
thirteen plethra in width. It was made by three clalfes of the
people, the market-men, labourers, and girls who were profti-
tutes. Five termini or pyramidal ftones remained on the top,
in the time of the hiftorian, with inferiptions, recording what
each had performed j and on a meafurement it had appeared,
that the greater portion was done by the girls. The mold,
which has been waihed down, now conceals the bafement j but
that, and perhaps a eonfiderable treafure might be difeovered,
i f the barrow were opened.
T he reader, it is likely, will wonder at the great number of
girls, which were employed in this work; and will conceive a
bad opinion of the morals of the Sardians. It was the cuftom
of the antient Lydians, as the hiftorian relates, to permit their
daughters to procure their own dowries. In this they deviated
from the Greek laws, which were eftablifhed among them.
They were an ingenious people, the inventors of gold and filver
1 A plethrum was one hundred feet.-
com;,
J